The word shockwave sounds aggressive. And when you combine it with the knowledge that you’re about to apply it to an already-painful tendon or joint, most people walk into their first session with some anxiety about what it’s going to feel like. Here’s the accurate picture, based on what we hear from patients consistently.
What the sensation actually feels like
StemWave delivers focused acoustic waves through a handheld applicator moved over the treatment area with gel applied for contact. The sensation is typically described as a rapid tapping or pulsing pressure, or in more sensitive areas, something like a deep flicking sensation. It’s not comfortable, but it’s not what most people expect when they hear the word shockwave. The intensity can be adjusted based on your tolerance.
Pain during treatment: what it means
Some discomfort during treatment over a chronically irritated area is expected and actually informative. When we find a spot that produces a notably sharper sensation, that’s usually the area of most concentrated tissue pathology (problem). The wave is doing the most work in exactly the place it needs to. Mild to moderate discomfort during treatment, at the site of the problem, is normal and generally a sign that the treatment is correctly targeted.
One thing that differentiates Stemwave from Softwave, is that Stemwave DOESN’T have to be painful to be effective. We can get excellent results while keeping the treatment “discomfort” to a 2/10 or 3/10. With Softwave, technicians often will turn up the intensity as high as the patient can tolerate (and it often hurts A LOT). We brought Stemwave into our clinic specifically for this reason.
How you feel after treatment
Most patients have one of two post-treatment experiences. Some feel an immediate reduction in their chronic baseline pain that lasts for a day or more after the first session. This is the analgesic effect. Others feel an increase in soreness in the treated area for 24 to 48 hours. This is the inflammatory reactivation that StemWave intentionally triggers in chronically degenerated tissue. The tissue was stuck in a non-healing state. The treatment restarts the healing response. This is a normal and expected response.
When you start seeing results
Most patients notice meaningful improvement by sessions 3 to 5. The regenerative effects of StemWave continue to develop for months after the course of treatment ends. If you’re considering StemWave at Land and Sea PT in Oceanside and have questions about what the treatment experience is like, come in for a consultation. We’ll give you an honest answer.
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Dr. Jonny Blue is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and founder of Land and Sea Physical Therapy in Oceanside, CA. He specializes in orthopedic PT, root cause methodology, and helping active adults in North County San Diego get back to the activities they love without surgery or pain medication.